


The Christmas Miracle

by Irelandfaith1118



Category: Stargate SG-1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 14:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9128017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irelandfaith1118/pseuds/Irelandfaith1118
Summary: Jack has never learned to forgive himself - it is time he does. He gets some help from a stranger to achieve this goal.Thanks to JackGywer for her awesome cover art and to redneckduckling for her great beta skills!





	1. Lost

[](http://www.directupload.net)

The Christmas Miracle

Chapter 1 - Lost  
Jack knew something was off the minute he stepped through the gate. First, no one else came through but him. Where was Sam, Jonas and Teal’c? And where was he? This did not look anything like the planet that the UAV had shown them on the screen back at the SGC. What in the world had those scientist done now to screw up the gate system and why did it seem like he was the only one who ever got stuck in the middle of their playing around??  
“Well Jack – you’re not gonna find anything out just standing here. You have two choices, either redial the home address or search the planet for a while and see if maybe the other three are here and just got dumped somewhere else.”  
Jack shrugged his shoulders and headed down the steps to where the DHD should be. He figured it would be smarter if he attempted to gate home and see if they realized they had screwed up. Again. Unfortunately, after searching frantically around the base of the stargate and in the general area – he realized to his dismay that there was no DHD present.  
“Oh boy those geeks have really gone and done it now! How am I supposed to get home? If I didn’t know better, I would swear Maybourne had a hand in this mess.” Jack thought to himself. Then he yelled at the top of his lungs “Maybourne, are you out here somewhere cause if this is another one of your stupid ideas I swear I will shoot you this time and mean it!!”  
Jack stood silent for a while and then shook his head and started walking in the generally easterly direction. The place looked like Egypt. Sand covered the ground and an occasionally palm tree could be seen every once in a while. He noticed the hills in the area and how desert everything looked. Good Lord, where in the world had the gate sent him? If he did not know better he would swear he was back on Abydos but he knew that was impossible. There was no Abydos any longer.  
Jack stopped long enough to take a swallow from his canteen and wipe his brow. Looking around him he noticed that where the greener areas were, there were animals that he could swear were sheep or something close to it. They had never found a planet yet that had the exact same animal as they had except for horses and dogs. Sheep seemed a stretch but he knew that was exactly what they were when he heard one of them bleat out a long sound.  
Then Jack took a deeper look and realized that the men guarding the sheep looked just like shepherds from his Sunday school days. Long robes with covers on their hands and carrying a shepherds crook and looking just like they had walked right out of Nazareth. Ok something really weird was going on and he did not like it a bit. The sun had started going down but he continued walking, feeling like his feet knew more about where he needed to go then his brain did.  
Just as he came to another hill, he saw a group of men and started over towards them. Maybe they could answer some questions for him. God, how he wished Jonas or even Daniel was here. Everybody knew how he was at the meet and greet part of star traveling – not really his cup of coffee.  
Jack walked up to one of the men and stood with his hands resting on his gun. He was not sure exactly what to call them so he went with his first though.  
“Howdy fella’s, my name is Jack and uh, well I’m from a place far, far away. I am not quite sure where I am right now because I believe there may have been a glitch somewhere in the traveling department. Can you guys help me out?”  
The men looked at Jack but made no comment. Jack just stood there, with a lopsided smile on his face, thinking to himself that he was going to kill every scientist he got his hands on when he got back to the SGC. “Well, maybe not Carter…things are not that bad where she is concerned.” Just when he thought all was hopeless, a man stepped out from the crowd and headed towards Jack, calming the other men with soothing words as he walked past them.  
“Hello my friend, I am sorry if it seems no one understands you. We speak Arabic but I have been fortunate in the fact that I learn many languages. Yours though from a distant place – is still very easy to understand. My name is Simon.”  
The young man held his hand out to Jack and Jack just stood there, in shock, unable to utter a single word. Finally, he begin to grin and then to laugh.  
“Daniel! Space Monkey! Oh Danny-boy, you sure know how to pop up in the strangest of places! Can you please tell me where in the sand hill I am? I understand if you need to keep under wraps or something to keep the others from being angry with you – but just kinda point me in the right direction – uh the right direction being home.”  
Jack reached his hand out and grabbed “Daniel” into a hug, and it did not even cross his mind that he should not have been able to do that. Daniel was not real – he was just an illusion at best. However, the young man hugged Jack back and then pulled back and looked at him as if he were truly lost.  
“I am sorry, my good sir, but I have never had the privilege of being acquainted with you. My people have always been from this region. I am born of the tribe of Judah. I was born in Cyrene but came here to this area ten years ago. You must mistake me for someone else – perhaps a friend you have longed in seeing?”  
Jack looked again at the young man standing in front of him. There was no doubt about it – this guy had to be Daniel. The only thing that would even make him think it was not Daniel was the accent he spoke with. Jack looked closer at the young man standing before him and he saw it. The look in the man’s eyes. Look of years of dealing with climate and harsh weather, noticed his hands were not the scholarly hands that Daniel sported.  
Oh, Daniel had callused hands, most he had gotten recently from being with SG1 – but these hands were callused from carrying a shepherd’s crook, not archeology tools. There was something else the two of the had in common but it came by different ways – this man had a wisdom about him that made him seem so much older than he was but where Daniel’s wisdom came in from other nations, this man’s wisdom seems to circle around his people and where they had come from and where they were going. It was as if he knew what tomorrow held but yet had never traveled in time.  
“Come, my friend, sit with us. It will be dark soon and it gets cold out here when the sun sets. You are welcome to share a fire with us and maybe we can help you find your way.”  
Jack figured there was no sense in trying to go anywhere else, especially in the dark. He was trained well enough that he would have been okay, but he was smart enough to know you do not push your luck and when a helping hand is being offered and you do not sense danger, then you take it. Not only that, but he was really confused. Why did it seem like he was still on his world and not in some other unknown place? Everything around him seemed so familiar.  
While they sat there, gathered around the fire, the men around him begin to relax and soon they were laughing and talking with each other in the same comradery that soldiers sitting around a fire would share. The more Jack listened to them, the more his brain seemed to hurt. He had served two tours in the Middle East, he was not happy about either of them and would prefer not to dwell on them. Yet, the more he listened to these men talk, the more they sounded just like the people he attempted to talk to while he was in Iraq and Iran.  
Simon noticed Jack was looking kind of confused and leaned over towards him.  
“Do not worry, my friend. The only thing we have to worry about out here are the lions, the bears and the wolfs. But they only come after the sheep not the shepherds. They only attack us when we protect our sheep, but protect them we must.”  
Jack became even more confused the more Simon talked. What in the world had happened to the gate system and where in the Sam dickens he was at?  
“I sure wish I knew exactly where and when I am. You talk as if you are in the Middle East in my world, but that cannot be. The Middle East in my world there are no more lions or bears, not for a very long time. No one knows why – they just moved on.”  
“But my friend, I can tell you where you are. You are in Israel, the land of Judah. We are in God’s land. You have not traveled so far away that you cannot return home. But you must not try to travel at night. The robbers are very dangerous and they love nothing better than to attack. Especially someone not from here.”  
Jack looked as if he were going to faint. He had had a strange feeling that Simon was going to say exactly that. His hands scrubbed over his face and then one of them made it through his hair and to his neck where he sat rubbing it, trying to figure out just what had happened to cause him to end up in the past.  
“My friend, you look afraid! Are you okay? I will get you some water. Do not move, I will be right back.”  
Before Jack could say anything, Simon was up and moving. He was soon back with a skin full of cold water from a stream nearby. Jack tried to drink some of it but it seemed to get caught in his throat. He had traveled in the past before – no big deal, right? But before he had his team with him and on that team was one of the smartest scientist in the world along with the best people greeter and language expert. God, how was he going to get home? Nobody even knew where he was. And even if they did – how would they get home if they came through the gate looking for him?  
“Listen my friend, we will figure this out. We will see that you get back to your home. There is a reason and a purpose for everything. Jehovah will show us in time why you are here.”  
Simon said it with such conviction that Jack wanted so bad to believe him. But it had been such a long time since he had believed in anything from God. It was not God’s fault; it was just that Jack felt God had better people in the world to see about then him. So he never paid much attention to that aspect of life anymore. He was a soldier – a man ordered to kill whether he agreed with it or not, things he had done that he would not even talk about in the light of day because he was governed by the United States Government. He would fight with conviction that what he had been ordered to do was not right, he still had no other choice but to do it. He had been beat, abused, raped and left for dead while others had been rescued and sent home. God had no time for him. And the worst of all, he had allowed his son to die because he had been careless and left his gun down, where his boy could get it. No, God had other things to do then worry about him and he sure did not forgive himself so why should God.  
Simon watched Jack’s face and it was as if he could read his thoughts. This man was carrying a burden like he himself had carried at one time. “Oh and how we condemn ourselves so easily when we feel we are not worthy of forgiveness or cannot forgive ourselves.” This man was in pain – in a pain that went deep into his soul and it was obvious even more when Simon mentioned God.  
Jack sat with the men around the small fire, head bent and listened somewhat to the chatter around him. Then he felt someone poking him, it seemed as if someone or something was wanting his attention and was being very persistent about it. He lifted his head and saw the shaggiest lamb he had ever seen before. The animal looked as if it had just crawled out of a swamp.  
Jack reached his hand down and started petting the little thing on the head. He heard Simon laughing and he looked over at him.  
“Oh my friend, you have just been held hostage. This is Sabu – he was found a week ago by my son and he is very obnoxious. He will not listen. He is ornery and hard-headed, determined to do things his way and to have his way!” Simon laughed again when Sabu pushed his head under Jack’s hand when he stopped petting him. “Oh, but he has fallen for you. And I must warn you, once Sabu falls for you – that’s it, there is no getting away from him. I must admit however you are the first he has shown this much affection for.”  
Jack looked at the animal standing beside him, just barely high enough to be seen over his knees. Why did it seem like he always picked up the strays? Children, animals, lost archeologist, babbling scientist, aliens deciding to defect – always to him. Did they not realize just how dangerous being around him really was?  
“Hey fella, you gonna want to go find someone else to get attached to. I am not that great of a person to hang around with.”  
Simon heard the words come from Jack’s mouth and slowly shook his head. He knew now why this man was here with him, celebrating a special occasion. He needed a good talking to and Jehovah was going to see that he got it. He reached down and patted the lamb on the butt and soon the little animal was off trotting after the bigger sheep.  
“That should keep him occupied for a while. He won’t be content for long, I am afraid. He will be back soon to enjoy more of your petting.”  
Simon said the words as he glanced over at Jack. The man sitting beside him looked lost. Not something he would normally allow a stranger to see, Simon knew this but he had caught Jack’s look before Jack had a chance to change it.  
“You know, my friend, today is a special day for my people here. We celebrate a very special birth that happened thirty-six years ago on this very night. A birth that a lot of my people were very surprised when it happened the way it did.”  
“Oh really, and what birth is that?”  
Jack knew what Simon was talking about. He had figured out exactly where he was – the year still surprised him but it really should not – nothing about gate travel should surprise him anymore!  
“Come my friend – you, I do not take for a feeble minded man! You know what birth we hold so dear here in our Country – as I am sure you do in yours. Even if the years are not the same, I find it hard to believe that His birth would not be celebrated among your people.”  
“I know what birth you speak of and if it happened thirty – six years ago, then I would imagine that there was a death three years ago that surely caused you and your people great pain. I am finding this very difficult to believe but I shouldn’t, not with my luck.”  
“In reverence of this special occasion, my family and fellow herdsman usually travel to Bethlehem to worship and bring praise to His name for the wonderful gift of life that He has assured us. You are welcomed to travel with us. I would prefer it over you staying here by yourself.”  
“I would prefer not to. I do not think you would want me around you for that and besides I need to stay close to where the gate is in case my people come looking for me. You go, do your celebration and if I am still here when you returned, then I am.’  
Simon watched Jack as he said these words. It was not the fact that he was worried that someone may come looking for him, Jack felt the same way he once had. Jack felt unworthy to be part of the celebration. He himself had a onetime thought that the only people who could celebrate the birth of the Holy Child of God were righteous men – men who had not had their hands in blood.  
“Jack, may I speak to your heart? I feel I need to tell you what you need to hear and some do not like it. You are hurting, my friend and you hold guilt for things you had no control over. You are a man of war but that is because it is part of your world. I too must fight if it is to protect my people. You fight to protect your people. You are a good man, Jack. You judge yourself when you have no right to.”  
O’Neill was angry. He did not want to be but what Simon had said bothered him. He sounded just like Sam, Daniel, Teal’c and now Jonas. These people did not understand. They did not realize that every night before he went to bed he wished he could wash the blood off of his hands like he did the grease and the dirt. They did not understand that when he closed his eyes to try to sleep all he saw was the whites of the eyes of young men that had lost their lives under his command. How dare this man sit here and think he knew him!  
“What do you know about why I judge myself? Please, Simon, you do not know me – you may think you do but you do not. I am not the peaceful man that you think I am. I have not only killed, I have led men to kill others. How can you claim I am a peaceful man? I allowed my child to take my gun and shoot himself and when his mother needed someone to lean on – I run away. What do you know about me? I am nothing but a soldier, destined to kill and destroy others’ lives! Yet you ask me to go and celebrate the birth of a man who gave his life for others, me a man who only takes. God what kind of fool do you take me for. Even if I could go with you, I could never celebrate this time. I don’t celebrate this time, not anymore – it means nothing to me! A man unable to forgive his self – let alone God!”  
By the time O’Neill had finished speaking, his checks were wet with tears. He had not allowed himself to cry over his life in a long time. His life was his life and he had learned to accept it. He was not meant to be happy or to bring others joy. Ah! what difference did it make – no one understood anyway. He would wait here and sooner or later someone from the SGC would figure out where he was and come take him home.


	2. Forgiveness

Chapter 2 – Forgiveness

Simon saw the tears as they ran down O’Neill’s face. This was a hard man. A man that had been hurt by life and yet kept fighting. A man that had once walked with God and yet because of things out of his control, had left his God and allowed despair and anger to take his place. He had to let him know that he was not alone. That there were and had been others who felt the same way.  
“Jack, listen to me. I do understand. More than you may believe. Let me explain to you why I say this. I, too had a son at one time. I loved this child – cherished him above all else. He was my light in the darkest of nights, it was he that I awakened for each morning. Nothing else could even start to come close to me with him around.”  
Simon stopped talking for a minute and stood up. He reached down and picked up his shepherds crook and looked at O’Neill. Jack shook his head but stood up. The man was determined, Jack would give him that. He walked beside Simon as he begins down the path from the side of the hill, walking towards where Jack had seen stone dwellings earlier when the sun had still been out. He knew where Simon was headed and though he really did not want to go, it seemed a power stronger then he was determined to get him there.  
“Jack, my friend, I will tell you a little about my life. I want to show you that you are not the only one that could carry guilt. My son was three years old when he was trampled by a caravan of slave merchants leaving here and heading towards Egypt. Crumpled in the dusty road, I bent down and picked up his shattered body. I had heard that this great Teacher that we all believed to be the Messiah was in the town next to mine. So with hope in my heart and believing in a miracle, I gathered my little Benjamin in my arms and headed for the town, knowing that I would come home with an active three-year-old.”   
Simon stopped to catch his breath and to gain control over his emotions and Jack took the chance to jump in. The man still did not understand – there was still a difference. He had not killed his son. Jack had!  
“I understand what you are thinking, my friend. But what you do not understand is that I had just had a very bad disagreement with my Benjamin and he had run out of the stable – crying and upset because I did not understand him. Did not understand that he wanted to be strong like his father and help. I thought by allowing him to help me and him so little it would take more time; time I did not have. He ran into the street blinded with tears and into the path of the racing horses. I had killed my son just as you feel you had killed yours. I had caused him to run into his death just as you swear you held the gun and pulled the trigger for your little boy.”  
Jack had stopped walking and was looking at Simon. He saw the grief of a hurting father all over this man’s face and he understood it so much. He too carried that same grief and look with him anytime Charlie crossed his mind or someone mentioned him.  
“But I have not finished my story yet my friend. You will see we have a lot more in common. I took my Benjamin to the next village and I stood in line, waiting for my turn with this great teacher, this miracle worker that I had heard so much about. He had caused lame men to walk, blind men to see – he had even healed a rich man’s daughter who they swore had died. Surely he would bring my little boy back. A little boy that had not even lived long enough to lose the pureness of his heart.”  
Simon took a deep breath. Jack waited. He had a cold feeling through his bones. He was not sure he wanted to hear anymore. But then again, he knew he had to.  
“My turn finally came and I held my Benjamin up to this great Teacher, knowing in my heart that he would be alive and well soon. I had been taught my whole life that if you have faith then Jehovah would give you whatever you asked. I had faith. I just knew my son was going to breathe again. But alas, the Teacher looked at me with tear filled eyes and shook his head. I could not believe it! How could he deny me, a righteous man? I had never killed anyone – never stolen anything. I had followed the ten commandments of Moses and read the Torah. I prayed to my God and yet this man who claimed to be His son could not heal mine. I was angry! Bitterness ran through my blood like hot steam. I screamed, I begged and I cried but alas it did no good and with His shoulders hanging he turned and walked away followed by the crowds of people. I just stood there, lost, holding my little heart.”  
By this time Simon was crying so hard that Jack had to help him sit down. How could this man want to go to the village where Jesus had been born after he had denied him the one thing that Simon loved more than anything. How could he forgive Him? He had admitted that he blamed himself – then why did he not still blame God.   
Jack felt it was different for him – he had not lived during the time that Jesus had walked the earth. He had not witnessed his healing touch or heard the words from his lips. If he had – he like Simon would have ran to where ever the Lord had been at that day when Charlie had died and would have begged Him to bring his son back to him. Jack was pulled back out of his thoughts when Simon started talking again.  
“It was only three days after I buried Benjamin that I heard that the Jews had arrested this so called Messiah while He had been in a garden praying. I did not want to care. I felt He was found out – that all those miracles I had heard He had performed were lies and now was the time for His punishment. Yet deep in my heart I knew that was not true. I knew that He was the real Messiah. Why He would not save my son I did not know but I knew deep in my heart that He was the man I had prepared myself for my whole life. I decided to go to Jerusalem and see what the big fuss was all about. The man had never caused any harm to anyone – why would the Jewish priest be against Him – did they not believe what the holy scriptures had said.”  
Simon took a deep breath and continued.   
“You must understand my friend, I was still a very angry and bitter man and though I believed this man to be honest and true, I still could not find it in my heart to forgive Him for not healing my son. By the time I had reached Jerusalem, the whole trail had turned into a circus. The guards had dressed Him like a king and had placed a crown of thorns upon His head. They spat on Him and beat Him with a whip, they blindfolded Him and played games – asking Him to guess who had hit Him, who had kicked Him. I watched all of this, not understanding why He allowed it to go on. Could He not stop this torture? Didn’t He have the power of His Father to put these men in their place and yet He stood there and took the punishment as if He had committed some awful crime. I wanted to stop them but I was still caught up in my own grieve. I knew what they did was wrong but I felt I had been wronged also. My son had done nothing wrong for his life to end so early – before He had a chance to even experience life. “  
Jack and Simon had stopped again. The traveling was rough and with Simon talking the rest was needed. Jack had not even noticed that little Sabu had followed him and Simon until he realized he was rubbing up against his legs. Such a small thing to take on such a hike. Jack reached down and picked him up, rubbing and petting him. Soon the little lamb felt content in Jack’s arms and fell asleep. Simon laughed and shook his head – the man was a sucker for animals that was for sure.  
“So what happened? Did you stay until the end – were you there when they crucified Him?”  
Jack said the words, still not believing that he was actually in a time where he could talk to a man who had spoken with Jesus. But would he have been able to look at Jesus again if He had denied healing Charlie? Would he be able to stand there and want to help fight the soldiers for His life? He knew he still fought in his time for peace and justice and he would give his life to keep his team and anyone he knew safe. But would he have been even more bitter than he already was if he had actually been able to ask Jesus in person to save his son and He wouldn’t?  
“I was in the temple courtyard when the famous question was asked who did we want to save? Jesus who had done no man harm or Barabbas -who was a known thief and killer? This is where the pain of my guilt held me for so long – I did not protect this innocent man, I did not scream and yell like others were for Him to be set free – instead I stood there with hate in my heart – bitterness tearing at my soul. All because He was not granted the will to allow my son to life, I was helping to condemn God’s Son.”  
Jack stood stock still, facing Simon. Wow! What would he have done had he been the one with the decision? Would his choice been the same, would he have condemned an innocent man? He could not answer that, there was no way to tell.   
“I followed them the next day when they led him up the mountain. I watched Him stumble and slip. I watched the pain that was etched upon his face and I heard the whip crack upon His back each time He would drop the crossbeam and fall. I watched Him as one of the soldiers bent down to help Him up, praying no one would see him commit this act of kindness and I heard him tell the Messiah that he was so sorry. And I heard the Messiah’s reply. The next time he fell, it seemed he would not get up. He was broken, looked so crumbles – just as my son did. He could not see due to the blood from his head pouring into his eyes, mixing with tears for the love He still had for these people – for me!”  
Simon stopped and took a swallow of water, and watched Jack – the man was very intent on the story that Simon was telling – Simon prayed that it would help ease the guilt this man carried.   
“I watched with grieve and pain in my eyes as a soldier searched the crowd – for what I did not know, until I felt him grab my arm. He screamed in my face that I was a strong man and should be able to help with a simple cross and the next thing I knew I was on the ground beside the very man that I had so much bitterness for. I lifted the beam from across his shoulders and started to stand when I felt His hand on my arm. When I looked at Him, I could not stop the tears from escaping my eyes. He looked at me with so much love, so much pity and then He said something that I to this day remember every time I take a breath. He looked at me and said in the calmest still voice – “I forgive you, Simon”. Oh my God! How the tears came – the pain I had felt for not standing up for this man, this man that my Torah had taught me would one day become the sacrificial lamb so that I would not die a lost man. And suddenly understood. I gave up my son just as God was giving up His – I gave up my son so the judgement that God had decreed millions of years ago could be followed through. If I had not had so much hate and bitterness in my heart and He had healed my son – I may have tried everything possible to free Him from doing the one thing that would save me.”  
Simon took a breath and looked at Jack.   
“It was hard watching Him hang on that cross that night, knowing He was doing it for me, for my family and for you – a friend I just met. But because of His sacrifice I could once again love my family, forgive my wife whom I blamed for what I thought was causing our marriage to break up when she would keep telling me it was not my fault that my son had died. I now have another son – he will be two on tomorrow and I am so glad he is here. At one time I never wanted to hold another baby.”  
Simon took Jack by the arm and looked him in the eyes. They were closer to the village now and Jack felt the dread at being here.   
“You may friend have to forgive yourself. You did not shoot your son. Yes, a mistake was made – just as I made one but we cannot crucify ourselves because of our mistakes. Each time you save one of the people under your command – you are proving that you are a good man – a man God was willing to allow His son to die for. Would you really leave Him hanging on that cross – unable to allow His forgiveness to wash over you. You a man that lives by the rule that you never leave a man behind. Jack, my friend, every time you do not allow yourself forgiveness – you are crucifying our Savior again. You are not that type of man. Forgive yourself so that He may once again bring joy into your heart.”  
Simon smiled then and rubbed the little lamb that Jack still carried on his shoulders.   
“You have a woman waiting for you back home. She could bring you so much joy but if you cannot forgive yourself, you can never have that joy. Do you want her to suffer because you are making yourself suffer? Forgive yourself and give yourself the freedom and love of a new family.”  
Simon stopped then and pointed. Jack could not believe his eyes. In front of him stood the humblest stable he had ever seen. The animals were gathered inside because of the chill that had come along. And then Jack lifted his face and his eyes took on the most beautiful sight. He had traveled galaxies upon galaxies – had visited stars and planets. But never had he seen a sight that was shining from the sky that night. The biggest and brightest star ever was shining above the stable. Suddenly Jack knew – he knew that everything was going to be okay. That Charlie was okay and that it was not his fault that Charlie had died that day. It was time to move on, time to start a new life with a new love. And he knew just the one he wanted to start it with.  
“Thank you Simon. You will never know how much you have done for me tonight.”  
“No my friend – I have done nothing. All of this was performed by a simple carpenter – a sacrificial lamb. I am glad that you have finally found peace – you so richly deserve it. And do not worry about rules and regulations. Where there is love, God will make a way. I am also glad that I got to share this night with you. Now it is time for you to return to your home. Goodbye my friend and may God’s love follow you always.”  
“But….”  
Jack never finished his sentence. Before he knew what had happened, he was back in the SGC, laying on his bed and it was the next morning – Christmas morning. What in the world?! Well, it did not matter how it happened – all he knew was that it had happened and he was glad. He jumped up, left his room and was across the hall in two steps, beating on another door.  
“Sam, wake up – Sam do you hear me? Open up – it’s Christmas! Open your door!!”  
By this time, Jonas and Teal’c both were standing in their doorways. Jack remembered now – they had all agreed to spend Christmas on the base since Jonas had not been released yet to leave. He beat on the door again, and finally he heard a groan and then “coming sir”   
Sam opened her door and looked at Jack. There was something different about him. Something was missing but something else had taken its place. She tilted her head and looked more intensely at him. The regret seemed to be gone from his eyes – but what was it that she saw in them, she could not quite figure out.   
Before she knew what had happened, Jack grabbed her and pulled her to him. In front of the security camera’s, Teal’c, Jonas and anyone else that may have heard the disturbance and was in the hall, Jack captured her lips in the softest kiss she had ever experienced. At first she was hesitant. “Holy Hannah! What was he thinking?!! Had he lost it all together?” The thoughts raced across Sam’s mind and then she did not care anymore – the heat from his lips soon caused hers to warm up and she was giving back as much as he was giving.   
Finally, he pulled away and looked at her. How could he have been so stupid! He loved her so much!   
“Marry me Sam! Make my Christmas wish come true and marry me!! We can work out the details later – just tell me you will. I love you more then you will ever know and I don’t want to live another day without you. Follow your heart and say yes!”  
Sam looked at him. This was what she wanted more than anything in the world.  
“Yes Jack I will marry you!”  
And he pulled her to him – his heart lighter than it had ever been – and sealed the agreement with a kiss.


End file.
